The Daily Endorsement: Baldwin's Henley in California Wash

Fact: You’re going to need a pair of jeans with a light wash for summer. Nothing looks better with tan feet, and those raw denims won’t breathe well when the mercury rises. When it comes to washed jeans, you’re either buying vintage, or a new pair that looks like this. Let me save you the trouble: vintage is smelly. Meet my favorite pair of light jeans in the world, the Baldwin Henley in their California wash.

Every wash the boys from K.C. cook up is based on the wear pattern from an employee or a customer’s previous pair. "I used one of my original Henley’s that I broke in for inspiration for the Cali wash," says founder Matt Baldwin. "We use a process with resin for the 3D whiskering behind the knees, and the upper thighs that is applied and raised by hand. It’s an extremely labor intensive process where we hand sand, and wash the jean down to that perfect spring/summer color." That’s love. And yeah, $232 ain’t necessarily cheap, but there’s 99 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day this year... Let’s just say it works out to a bargain.

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